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Spurs take NBA playoff lead over Warriors

Peter Mitchell

Andrew Bogut was plagued by early fouls and his sharpshooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were off target as the Golden State Warriors fell to the San Antonio Spurs 102-92 in game three of their western conference NBA semi-final series.

The win gives the Spurs a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Friday was supposed to be a triumphant return for the Warriors to their home court in Oakland, California, after splitting the first two games in San Antonio.

But the experienced Spurs took an early lead and despite a couple of runs by the Warriors, were in control of the game.

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They were led by guard Tony Parker, who had 32 points and five assists, and centre Tim Duncan, with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

"It is a big win for us," Parker said.

"We didn't play well in the first two games at home, and I think it is the first time in the series where we played Spurs basketball.

"We were a lot more physical in defence and on offence we moved the ball."

Bogut, the Australian Olympic team's centre, was the Warriors' best, going hard early at Duncan, including leaping on an offensive rebound in the first quarter and dunking it aggressively over the Spurs big man.

The play upset Duncan, who was called for a technical foul after lashing out at Bogut as they ran back down the court.

Bogut's physical play, however, cost the Warriors.

The 213cm tall Melbourne-born centre picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter and fifth with six minutes left in the fourth period.

Bogut finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and one monster block on Duncan.

Curry and Thompson have been labelled the best shooting backcourt in the history of basketball, but both were cold, with Curry adding a below average 16 points on 5-17 shooting and Thompson picking up just 17 points on 7-20.

Curry has suffered ankle injuries throughout his career and a scare went through the Warriors late in the fourth quarter when he injured his already suspect right ankle.

Game four is in Oakland on Sunday.

In the eastern conference semi-final played on Friday, the Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 104-94 in a spiteful game where Bulls reserve centre Nazr Mohammed was ejected for pushing NBA MVP LeBron James to the floor.

The win in Chicago gives James and his Heat a 2-1 lead in the series. James made a clutch three-pointer with two minutes remaining and finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as Miami reclaimed home-court advantage while game four is Monday night in Chicago.